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Jon Mertz has been a long time friend and supporter of The Mentoring Project, and earlier this year he released a book focused on leadership and generational connection - it's geared toward Millennials specifically, but this is sure to be a book that brings older and younger generations together as they learn how to collaborate and tutor one another. For this month's Mentor Resource, we feature Activate Leadership by Jon Mertz. We asked him a series of questions related to mentoring, his latest book, and future goals. Take a look below.

TMProject's January Mentor Moment was an exciting opportunity to learn about dinosaur bones: their discovery history and where they are most likely to be found. Special shout out to ProsforAfrica for sponsoring this Mentor Moment making this experience possible. Each of the mentees were able to get up close and personal in the privately currated dinosaur exhibit.

We also had a game room and JANGA was king! Mentors and mentees competed in some loud, exciting rounds before transitioning to the exhibit. If they weren't playing Janga, they were either playing 'spoons' or snacking on a donut.

Because of your investment in mentoring and community building, TMPRoject's January #MentorMoment was a big SUCCESS!

We had SO MUCH fun at our TMProject Laser Tag Mentor Moment! We were able to play two rounds of laser tag before digging in to some yummy pizza!

Everyone had just as much fun picking out their "code name" as they did playing the game! Each person playing was given a vest and a gun and was immersed into the multilevel, black lit arena to compete. By the end of the rounds, everyone was able to take home a final score sheet of their competition.

Thank you to our supporters and advocates who make our #MentorMoment team building experiences possible! And Mentors, you are the quiet heroes changing the entire course of your amazing mentee's life.

Amazing Oklahoma Mentors,Your mentees are going to LOVE this Mentor Moment! Next weekend, we are rounding up mentors and mentees to experience a guided tour of one of the nation's most exclusive and well know private collections of DINOSAUR BONES. Yep, like the big guys that used to rule the earth.

Our tour will be guided by Jeff who coordinates National Geographic paleontologist supervised digs in multiple states. His stories are hard to believe, but all true. If your mentee loves science (or if you WISH your mentee could love science) this is a morning they will never forget. Only a limited number of mentor/mentee pairs can attend this private tour, Q&A and hands on activity extravaganza so please sign up quickly.The address for this #MentorMoment will be released to those who RSVP yes before the event fills up.

Start the new year investing in your community. What legacy are you building?

January is National Mentoring Month. We need you in the game. We have incredible kids eagerly waiting for a mentor and that mentor can be YOU.

The Mentoring Project is hosting a volunteer and mentor training Thursday, January 21st to get more Oklahoma leadership directly involved in the lives of the next generation.

A TMProject volunteer is a caring adult committed to helping kids and The Mentoring Project 1-2 hours a month. A mentor commits to 1-2 hours a week. Where do you fit in?

Join us for pizza and our nationally recognized relational mentor training 6:00pm to 8:0pm hosted alongside our friends at Life.Church NWOKC, located at 5821 NW Expressway OKC 73118. RSVP YES to advocate@thementoringproject.org with your name and number of people attending.

Long live mentoring,Team TMProject

P.S. Already in youth ministry? Amazing! Bring your team to participate in this relational mentor training that will benefit the program you already serve.

Dear friend,As I look back on 2015 - I am proud and humbled by your generosity. Your generous support is fueling a global movement - a movement that is transforming the lives of at-risk children through life-on-life, caring relationships. Every day, we see children doing better socially, children avoiding gangs and drug abuse, graduating from high school with honors and going to college. Because of your support, these children have a better life. In 2016, we would love for you to support a mentor. Your gift of $10/month will recruit, train and match mentors with at risk children. Also, by giving $10/month, you will be entered into a drawing to hang out with us at Donald Miller's house in Nashville. Find out more about Don's house party and donate today at: thementoringprojectcommunity.org Happy New Year,John

Both for our own partner sites and for other mentoring organizations. We match mentors ourselves and freely give away hundreds of other mentors - as we know that it "lifts the city" where we work. Each one of these trainings takes 9-12 months of preparation time, working with partners, church leaders, and making sure we have the right people in the room and the right follow-up plan in place. In less than three years, we have had some 3000 people go through our mentor trainings - in the following places: Oklahoma City (1500+). Our largest local mentor training was Life.Church Edmond with nearly 500 people in attendance.

DowntownOKC, Inc. has graciously agreed to sponsor this event as we visit the Devon Ice Rink for our December Mentor Moment. The Mentoring Project has taken mentor / mentee pairs ice skating the last two years in a row, and this activity is a favorite among our group. We're excited to slip and slide on the ice one more time as we carry on the tradition.

In less than two weeks, The Mentoring Project will entertain our next Mentor Moment at RedPin Restaurant and Bowling Lounge. This is the second year in a row for bowling festivities at RedPin as they have graciously stepped up to sponsor mentors and mentees once again. There will be plenty of food and drinks to go around, so come hungry and prepare for a night of strikes!

If you would like to attend this event please RSVP by e-mailing your name along with your mentee's name and age to advocate@thementoringproject.org. Because of lane restrictions there are 48 open slots for this activity, so hurry to get your name on the list!

We are excited to reintroduce an uplifting campaign from last year - WINTER WARM. Some of our great kids have a rough time in the winter months because their family budget doesn't always allow for new clothes in the winter. While as adults we can usually wear their same clothes from last year, our mentees are growing fast and strong. They need new warm clothes each winter for the new height and shape of their growing elementary, jr. high and high school self. Most of our kids use public transportation to get to school - this means early, dark mornings standing and waiting in the cold.

Place Conference Main Sessions venue is The Lyric Theater at the Plaza, located at 1725 NW 16th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73106. Here is the link to the The Lyric Theater website with additional directions and parking information - CLICK HERE.

We have 300 people total who will join together for an intimate and community focused Place Conference. Folks are traveling from 26 states and five countries! If you are one of our traveling friends, this blog is for you! If you arrive on Wednesday, you will have an opportunity to see beautiful Oklahoma City. Here is a "staff favorite" list of some of the most unique things to do and see in OKC:

Meet Rosanna Tomiuk. Rosanna is: a silver medalist with the Canadian Water Polo team, a singer / songwriter, and a mentor and spokesperson for Love Montreal - a community movement making Montreal a city of great neighbors. Rosanna will be sharing her story and some of her music with us this year at PLACE. Find out more and reserve your seat here: www.thementoringproject.org/place-conference

We are THRILLED to have John Luke Robertson of Duck Dynasty joining us at PLACE on September 24-25, in OKC. John Luke is a dynamic young leader who stars on the top-ranked reality show of all time, Duck Dynasty on A&E, with his family. Come hear John Luke share, live at PLACE - reserve your spot today! http://bit.ly/1SRiZ8o

What does human trafficking have to do with mentoring? A LOT according to #Place2015 speaker Rob Morris. Rob Morris is the President and Co-founder of Love146, an international human rights organization working to end child trafficking and exploitation through prevention and survivor care. Rob and his team are a force to be reckoned with - roaring into communities across the globe with compassion, healing and protection for vulnerable children. At The Mentoring Project's Place Conference, Rob will give details about how communities with strong mentors, standing sentry, are demonstratively less likely to have young girls and boys trafficked into the global sex market. Come to #Place2015 to find out how communities can build "mentor walls" to keep children out of being manipulated or kidnapped into this brutal underground market. Register for Place Conference - tickets via www.thementoringproject.org/place-conference

Every Child Deserves a Mentor

This generation has been wounded the most in relationships - it is in relationships where the healing must begin." We believe that mentoring is a way to rewrite the fatherless story. Mentors are the 'quiet heroes' of the movement.

At The Mentoring Project, we inspire and equip people to become mentors. How can you mentor? Get our Mentor Toolkit or attend a city-wide Rewrite Mentor Trainings. Or have us come to your city to consult and conduct a training. Can't mentor right now? Consider sponsoring a mentor. For $25/month - we can recruit and train a mentor for an at-risk child. Join us ... today.